Cebu among best in the world to retire

An article appeared in “Yahoo! Finance” specified Cebu as one of the six places in the world that retiring Americans can live without spending too much.

In his article entitled “the world’s most affordable places to retire,” Ilyce Glink of CBS MoneyWatch said Live and Invest Overseas listed down the six top places that Americans “could live well on the cheap.”

A publication and research firm specializing in overseas living, Live and Invest Overseas’ Retire Overseas index “uses 12 factors, including climate, whether English is spoken, cost of living, health care and infrastructure, to determine the best cities to retire,” Glink said.

The article placed Cebu on top of the list of “some of the most affordable, but still appealing, cities in the world” where a foreigner can live with just $1,250 per month.

According to the article, “Cebu, a developed province in the Philippines, has some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world: narrow coastlines with bright blue waters and limestone plateaus offset by rolling hills and rugged mountains.”

It also stated that the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) would make it easy for retired Americans who would want to fly back to the United States anytime they want.

“It is just as easy for family and friends to fly in for a visit. The cost of living here is extremely low, so your dollar goes four times as far. To top it off, the Philippines offer generous residency visas for retirees,” the article said.

Other places on the list are Chiang Mai in Thailand, Cuenca in Ecuador, Granada in Nicaragua, Hoi An in Vietnam and El Poblado, Medellin in Colombia.

Good news

Governor-elect Hilario “Junjun” Davide III hailed as good news the inclusion of Cebu on the list of world’s retirement havens. “It shows that Cebu has a lot of potential when it comes to tourism,” Davide said.

Davide said tourism is one of the areas that his administration would prioritize. “As I said in my speech during the Tourism Congress last week, tourism is one important factor in Cebu’s development. It has made great strides in promoting Cebu and the countryside, and in attracting tourist and guests, both local and foreign,” he said Davide added that both the local government units and the private sector should unite to make a difference for Cebu.